Issue - meetings

To deal with any questions on notice from Members of the Council, in the order in which they have been received.

A period of up to 15 minutes is allocated for the asking and answering of questions.  This may be extended at the discretion of the Chairman with the agreement of the majority of those present.

The Chairman advised that five Questions on Notice had been received for consideration on this occasion.

Question from Councillor M. Marshall to the Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services

“Can the Cabinet Member confirm what action is being taken to challenge and reverse Worcs Highways’ unacceptable stance not to attend future Bromsgrove Planning Committee meetings which:

·             compromises the professional integrity and independence of our planning officers who will be required to accept and present Worcs Highways evidence at Committee without question

·             undermines the legitimate need for members to scrutinise the evidence of a key statutory consultee 

·             erodes public confidence in the democratic accountability of Highways and the planning process for decisions impacting the District’s residents?”

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services responded by explaining that a formal response had been raised by the Assistant Director for Planning, Leisure and Culture Services with her counterpart at Worcestershire County Council.  The following statement had been issued by Worcestershire County Council in response, which was read out at the Council meeting:

“As the statutory consultee for highways, Worcestershire County Council review planning applications submitted to the District Councils (Local Planning Authorities), and provide comments and recommendations for the districts to use as part of their wider assessment of the individual planning applications.  

If an application is to be determined by committee, local planning authorities make a recommendation based on all the evidence before them including from the full range of statutory consultees.

There is no requirement of statutory consultees to attend planning committees and the county council have never stated that they will not attend future committees.   

The council will continue to attend where this is important or where the Chair of the Planning Committee considers it contentious or of wider public interest, balancing demands with resources and avoiding situations where attendance does not add any value.”

Councillor Marshall subsequently asked the following supplementary question:

“That is progress, as they previously said they would not be attending.  How will we control this and make sure it happens?”

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration suggested that when Planning Committee members received the agenda for a meeting of the Committee, they should check the content straight away.  Where Members identified an application where they felt it would be appropriate for a representative of Worcestershire Highways authority to be present, the Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services suggested that they should notify the Chairman of the Planning Committee meeting immediately so that a request could be submitted to Worcestershire County Council.  Furthermore, it was suggested that the Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services could be copied into this correspondence.

Question from Councillor J. Clarke to the Leader

“Will you take action to ensure that Bromsgrove retains its Fairtrade Town status?”

The Leader replied by commenting that she was proud that, over ten years ago, when Fairtrade products were quite rare in shops and eateries, the Council had signed up to the Fairtrade Foundation Charity to be granted Fairtrade status.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71